Thought for the day

Political Cartoon: "Drip, Drip, Drip" by Matt Wuerker, Politico

Don't Drink that Soda!

I have to admit, there are times when I absolutely crave a Diet Coke's effervescent sweetness. However, that craving has been tempered more and more lately by bad news about drinking soda. We already know the toll that soda can have on those who are overweight, and we've seen people lose dramatic weight by simply dropping soda from their diet.


However, there is more we should all be aware of. I read this article the other day. Here's some of what I learned:

• Apparently the phosphoric acid in soda can lead to more rapid aging. A 2010 study found that the excessive phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels. Too much phosphoric acid can challenge the heart and kidneys, lead to osteoporosis, and muscle loss.
• Did you ever wonder why colas are brown? It's nothing natural, that's for sure! Two contaminants in the coloring, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found to cause cancer in animals. Just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most popular brown colas, both diet and regular, contain 200 micrograms per 20-ounce bottle.
• Then there is Mountain Dew, the bad boy of all sodas. Its excessive sugar is well-known by dentists to cause cavities. And how about this? The BVO (bromated vegetable oil)  which is added to keep the flavoring from separating from the drink, is also used as a flame retardant in plastics! So while you might get some cavities from drinking the stuff, well, maybe you'll be able to take up firewalking.  Unfortunately, this chemical has also been known to cause memory loss  and nerve disorders. 

So what to drink instead? For starters, there is water. I'm one of those people, however, that just can't get excited about water. So if I want caffeine (which is half the reason I like my Coke), I drink coffee or tea, hot or cold. Then, if it's something sparkly and sweet that I want, I pour a Pellegrino or other sparkling water, and splash in some pomegranate or other juice. 

Spring into Spring!

Spring is coming, and I can already feel the energy. It didn't hurt that we had such a mild winter; personally, I didn't feel like hiding in my bear cave all that much this year. And now that spring is officially coming in just a few weeks, I see that new workout classes are springing up almost as fast as the crocus!

Rankin Fitness Center, besides their already popular Zumba class (Thursdays at 7:00), is offering several new classes. I've just updated our Yoga post to include their new Yoga classes:

• Gentle Yoga for Seniors on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 am
• Yoga for Stress on Mondays at 7 pm
• Workout Yoga on Wednesdays at 7 pm

Also new at Rankin is Bellysima! I've been raving about this bellydancing class ever since I started taking it two years ago. Bellydancing isn't just about wearing a pretty hip scarf and shimmying, although it's definitely a part of it. Bellydancing will teach you how to isolate muscles that you didn't even know you had. Angela Petry's instruction concentrates on technique rather than fancy footwork and choreography, so you can really get to know your core. The class encourages grace, good posture and coordination. It's a fun class to take with a friend, so bring someone along! I think this is a wonderful class for teenage girls because along with everything else, it teaches girls to  be proud of their bodies, and to carry themselves well, all taught in a fun atmosphere. Because you'll be progressing with each lesson, rather than "dropping in," you should sign up for a session rather than a single class. Luckily, the Bellysima class is being offered at three different times, so you should be able to find one convenient for you:

Tuesdays 10:30-11:45

Wednesdays 3:30-4:45

Wednesdays 5:30-6:45 

Classes are $65 for an 8 week session for non-members, $32.50 if you're a member. If you just want to try the class, you can drop in for $10 (non-member) or $5 (member). 

Angela has a Facebook page, so check it out!

Rankin Fitness Center has some other ongoing classes, such as Judo, Silver Sneakers, and Weight Watchers, and of course, the wildly popular Zumba class taught by Rene Kesecker. Give them a a call at 304-258-555 or stop by. They have some great membership deals going on now too!

Well, it's just how we roll.

Yes Virginia, doctors still DO make house calls... and more. Here's the text you'll find under the link:
January 13, 2012, Morgan Messenger

Dear Editor:

I would like to let everyone know about an act of Christmas kindness by one of your neighbors.

I’m from Arizona and recently spent the holidays at my sister-in-law’s farm in southern Morgan County. Just before Christmas, recurrent kidney stone pain caused me to plan an emergency return to Tucson to get treatment from my doctors.

As I was making flight reservations, Dr. Matt Hahn, a friend who was visiting my brother-and sister-in-law, interrupted and offered to arrange local treatment. Not only did he go out of his way to arrange an ER visit, he took several hours out of his Christmas Day to drive us to the hospital and stay with my wife and I during the visit. Afterward, he lined up an appointment with a local urologist to have the stone removed the following day.

I was blown away by the amount of time and effort that Dr. Hahn put out. He and his wife, Bibi, who was especially gracious even though we occupied much of her husband’s Christmas Day, are incredibly generous people. You’re very lucky to have such people active in your community.

Jim Delaune
Tucson, Arizona

Yoga in Berkeley Springs

Winter is a great time to start or re-start your yoga practice. We tend to sit a lot more in the winter time, whether it's because we don't like the cold, or there just isn't as much going on this time of year. Yoga is a wonderful way to get back in touch with your body, and to still the mind. I've been trying to fit a few more Yoga workouts into my week lately. It feels good, and anybody who thinks Yoga is for sissies hasn't done it. Plank pose alone strengthens your core, your back, and of course, your arms. Downward facing dog and pigeon pose feel like heaven after you've been sitting all day.
For those of you who haven't been exercising regularly, yoga would be a good place to start. Yoga naturally makes you aware of your body, and helps you remember to breathe while you move. A good instructor will make gentle corrections to assure that your poses are good for you.
And for those of you who already have an exercise routine going, good for you! But don't forget, cross training is key to a strong, healthy body. Yoga will help you stretch your muscles and further strengthen them.
In Berkeley Springs, we are blessed with several really great instructors, all offering different techniques. A good instructor will be able to teach most levels of yoga to one class, but you should always let your instructor know if you're a beginner. Here's a list of all the Yoga classes I was able to find out about in our area:

Joyce Morningstar  and Lee Barrons Classes are held at their home studio. Call 304-258-6247 for information. Individual classes $10 / 8 classes $55

• Tues                      Gentle Yoga       7:00-8:15
• Thursday             Vigorous Yoga   7:00-8:15
• Friday                    partner yoga      7:00-8:15
• Sat                          Gentle Yoga       9:00-10:15

Marcie Fleeharty   Classes are held at the Board Office Annex Building. Must sign up by registering with Morgan County Adult and Community Education. Contact Laura Hovermale at 304-258-2430 ext 19 or 20. Classes are $50 for 10 weeks beginning  January 23.

• Monday               Basic Yoga           4:30-5:45
• Monday               Yoga Fusion        6:00-7:15

               

Christina Page Classes are held at the inMotion Dance Center. Call (540)535-6188 for more information. Classes are $15 for drop ins, or multiple class cards are available at a discount. Private classes available as well.

• Thursday             Alignment based Yoga   9:00-10:30          

Evelyn Garcia Classes are held at the  Presbyterian Church Social Hall. Please call  (304)258-9069 before attending.  Classes are $8 in advance  or $10 at the door. Evelyn is also available for private classes.

• Monday               5:30-7:00

Rankin Fitness Center now offers Yoga classes. Each class is 45 minutes in length and each class costs $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers.

• Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00 am Senior Yoga
• Mondays 7:00 pm Yoga for Stress
• Wednesdays 7:00 pm Workout Yoga

You can also find tons of Yoga workouts on DVDs, and on Youtube. Personally, I wouldn't use these until I had taken Yoga from an instructor and got confident with the poses. I do have a few that I like. I'll post these later on. If you have some favorites, please let me know! I might want to give yours a try.

Namaste!

E-Reading for your health

We could open our own medical library at our house. Medical journals are piled up on the coffee table, brochures for health products languish on the kitchen counter with the rest of the mail, and yes, health magazines are stacked in the bathroom too. Maybe that's what happens when you're married to a doctor.

As most of you know by now, I love technology. Those journals and magazines? They're my husband's. I prefer to read current events, including health and fitness news, online. I love how I can use links in an article to explore a topic in more depth... or open a new browser window and Google an author to find out what else they've written.

I make sure I read at least little bit of health news every day as I scan all the international and national news, entertainment gossip, the weather, and politics. Being in the know about new health and fitness developments and discoveries is exciting and useful.

There are many ways you can make any kind of reading more available on the web. Of course you can always bookmark your favorite news sites, blogs, and other sources.

Google and Yahoo both use widgets to make information appear automatically on your personalized Google or Yahoo page. I've added a "widget" to my Google page called The World's Healthiest Foods. (If you don't use iGoogle, you can also just read The World's Healthiest Foods by itself.) Every week this widget focuses on a healthy food (this week's is broccoli), and usually includes at least one recipe for that food.

Many news sites allow you to customize what kind of news you see once you've created a (usually free) account. Today while reading the news on the MSNBC website, because I've added the Health section to my customized page, I found an article on getting the starch out of my dinners.

In addition to links found on web pages, there are lots of websites that will email  free subscription newsletters. Shape Magazine, a mainstay of the fitness reader, has many email newsletters to help you stay motivated and smart: Just go to this website, check the boxes for the newsletters you want, and fill in your email address.

If you got an iPad or other tablet for a gift this holiday season, there are so many apps out there that it'll require a whole new article to explore just a few of the health and fitness-related. But here are some links to get your started:
iFit: 50 Coolest Fitness and Health Apps for the iPhone (most of these can also be used on an iPad as well)
Top Ten iTunes Health Apps of 2011
For example, I was excited to find a Yoga app that lets me design my own routines. The tablets open a whole new exciting dimension and lots of possibilities.

I think keeping health and fitness news in my digital life can't help but be a reminder to stay on a healthy track. If you're reading this blog, chances are you like to get your information online, too. Please share with us if you find something interesting!

Online Appointment Scheduling!

Just a quick note to let you know that online appointment scheduling is now available. If you're interested in registering for this new feature, you'll need to request an access code to get started. Email bibi@hahnandnelson.com. I'll send you an access code and a guide to Patient Ally.